Sixty Days
by HecateA
Summary: What if you only had sixty days to live after being reborn? What if you knew the person you loved only had days? What would you do, with who would you do it, and what ghosts would you deal with? Frank and Hazel need to answer those questions; fast. Oneshot. Written for Percy Jackson Ship Weeks.


**So I've had this idea for a long time, and I've been annoying my friends by yapping and panicking about it, but finally it's done. It's what I picture Frazel as most of the time, sad, but they had joy and love in there. Anyways, thanks to this I listened to some very decent jazz music. It's also for the Percy Jackson Ship Weeks which go as:**

august 6 august 13: Grover and Juniper. (Check)

august 13 august 20: Clarisse and Chris. (Check)

august 20 august 27: Silena and Charles. (Check)

september 3 september 10: Thalia and Luke. (Check)

september 10 september 17: Hazel and Frank. (Check because I've already written another)

september 17 september 24: Piper and Jason / Reyna and Jason (optional) **(I just love how Jason can just be with whoever) **

september 24 october 1: Percy and Annabeth.

**Disclaimer: Me no own**

* * *

**Percy Jackson Ship Weeks #5 Hazel and Frank**

* * *

**Sixty Days**

* * *

None of the seven spoke up for her. They were too shocked.

They all stood in a neat line in front of the gods. All of them were bloody, exhausted, over-emotional wrecks who'd just gone through the worst seven hours of their whole freaking lives and the most demanding quest demigods had taken on in three lifetimes.

Yet the gods were still telling them this now.

"You're kidding," Percy said. "After all of that, after all she's done; nothing? She just gets shipped back to where she came from?"

"Percy," Annabeth shushed, a hand on his arm, her eyes trying to locate a loophole. There were none. He'd said it loud and clear; 'all half-bloods, mortals and monsters that came back from the dead before the Great Battle in Greece started will be taken back to the Underworld'.

That meant Hazel.

Frank couldn't talk or think or focus or even breathe.

"Lord Zeus," Piper started, "I don't think that that course of action-"

"It's not my decision, daughter of Aphrodite." Zeus said. "I do not rule the Underworld. I do not make up its rules."

Everyone turned towards Hades. The immortal had taken a bigger hit and had been drained of more energy than any other deity. The god looked miserable.

"Hazel I'm sorry," he said. "But-"

"I know," she said, her voice nearly broken and slightly bitter. "Death has its rules, and I'm a citizen."

Frank took her hand and Hazel buried her face in his chest, taking a deep breath.

"The gods are ready to give you a reward," Zeus said. "One day for each year of your life that you might have had if Gaia hadn't awakened."

Hazel looked back at the gods. "I'd be eighty one."

The words weighed heavily around the room.

"We don't know how long you'd have lived while taking in natural causes or monsters," Zeus said. "The gods have agreed to give you sixty days to spend as you wish."

"Sixty days isn't a life," Frank said. "Don't you think she deserves that?"

Every god turned to face Frank.

"We're bending the laws of death for this. We can't do more." Hades said.

"Now go," Zeus said. "The camps need you back."

And the throne room of the gods disappeared.

**57 days to go:**

Everything had considerably calmed down since the War. The injured were healing, the dead were in Elysium, the rescue operations in the mortal world were ending, Jason and Reyna had been reinstated as praetors…

Frank was walking back from New Rome with Hazel.

"I talked to Jason and Reyna," he said.

"That's not unusual," she said.

"No," Frank agreed. "But they're agreeing to let you leave camp property anytime. And you're allowed to take someone with you. So if there's anything you want to see or do before… well, you know, just let me know."

"That's sweet," Hazel said. Her eyes looked empty and distant and sad.

"Don't worry," Frank said taking her hand. "It's going to be okay. Sixty days isn't forever, but it's not nothing. You're going to have the best sixty days of your life, okay? Just tell me what you want and I'll… I'll make it happen."

It was a promise. It was deeper than a blood promise, and it was more important than that too.

**56 days to go:**

"I want to see a movie," Hazel said.

"Okay," Frank said. "What kind of movie?"

"Any movie," she said. "Just… Leo told me they had colours in the images now."

"They do," Frank said. "Sometimes they give you glasses that make the movie look 3D and pop out of the screen."

Hazel's eyes popped.

"Yeah," Frank said.

"Can we go see one of those? Are those in colour too?"

"Yes and yes," Frank said.

**55 days to go:**

Hazel woke up when the morning conch horn bell rang. She elbowed her way through the bathroom to brush her teeth and then got dressed in jeans and a purple t-shirt, pulling on pieces of armour. She laced her sneakers and picked up her helmet, but something fell out of it. It was a small square of plastic with bumpy letters and a logo that she did not recognise in the upper right corner. She had no clue what it was, but slipped it in her pocket.

At breakfast she showed it to Frank.

"It's a credit card," he said.

"What's that?" Hazel asked.

"Instead of carrying bills and coins people carry those," Jason explained to her. "The code on it gets scanned and whoever you're paying can then take the money out of a bank account just like that."

Hazel was a little confused, but she figured that the occasion wouldn't pop up in the next fifty-five days where she'd have to explain exactly how a credit card worked, so she just left it that it was money made out of plastic.

"Where did it come from?" Reyna asked.

"The gods," Frank said. "Probably."

"It's to go to the movies, isn't it?" Hazel asked.

"And other stuff you might want to do." Frank said.

* * *

Frank held the theater door open for her and Hazel froze in the entrance.

The colourful food stands and bubble-gum machines would've been enough to culture-shock her, but this particular movie theater had huge statues hanging from the ceiling- biplanes, a giant King Kong holding onto a plastic Empire State building, a dinosaur popping out of a wall, a long roll of unrolling movie tape… Machines to buy your own tickets stood in lines near the entrance, TV screens advertising movie times were up in the corners, and there was an arcade off in the corner.

"Holy smokes," she said.

"Yeah," Frank said. He was smiling a bit. "Come on," he said.

She walked through and Frank decided to show her how to use the machines since they had a credit card. He explained the buttons to her but she just couldn't understand it, so he just handed her ticket to her.

"You can do the things with the machine," Hazel said.

He got a bag of popcorn to share and they sat down in the theater. Half of the popcorn was gone during the advertisements alone.

"Why are there commercials?" Hazel asked.

"There always are." She said.

"Why?"

"People pay to have their commercials play and the theater makes money. When you watch something for free on the Internet, or get a free handout it's the same thing."

"Do they show cartoons before the real movie?" Hazel asked.

"Cartoons..? No." Frank asked wondering what this was coming up now.

"They stopped making cartoons for movies!" Hazel gasped.

"Umm, yes," Frank said.

"No Bugs Bunny? Or Tweetie Bird? Or Porkie Pig?"

"On TV there's a show for them," Frank said.

"They used to show Looney Tunes and little movies before the real one," Hazel said. "Sammy and I used to go see movies _just _for that. Usually we could sneak in and hope not to get caught until the cartoon was over."

"You little rebel."

"Mmm-hmm," Hazel grinned at him.

The movie started, people were asked to turn off cell phones, pagers, please do not text, don't tape the movie, etc. Frank prepared an inside explanation for 'what is texting?'

The movie was okay, but Hazel had 'I am technologically impaired' in her eyes every time a Google search was performed, or whenever someone got a call, or when a machine gun shot a million rounds.

Frank spent more time watching her then watching the movie. Watching her reactions, her interested, her in general… He wanted to put an arm around her really badly. But he didn't.

_She's got 55 days left, _Frank reminded himself. _Don't give her a reason to want to stay. Don't give her something to think about in the Underworld. Don't do that to her, and don't do that to you._

So they just watched the movie.

* * *

Afterwards, in the arcade, he introduced Hazel to Dance Dance Revolution.

"So you just step on the arrows when the arrows on screen go into the white ones," she said.

"Yes."

"That's not dancing, it's stomping." Hazel said.

"Well you _can _dance while doing it," Frank said. "Like the girl in the green top is doing, see?"

"Well you _can _yodel while doing the Heimlich manoeuver, but the Heimlich manoeuver isn't yodeling_." _Hazel said.

Frank laughed. "It's a game, okay? And it's addicting."

He put the dollar bills (Americans had bills for dollars, why? Why? What was so wrong with Loonies?) in the game's slot for her and some other guy took up the second matt so Hazel would be in an actual competition. Frank didn't think it was fair to her but 'back off, she's from the WWII era and she's never done this before' was not something he could say in public.

Hazel pawned him, moving fast and focused, and really actual dancing between stomps.

"New high score," the electronic voice blared.

Hazel gave Frank a look, a smile teasing her lips. "_That's _dancing."

"Whoa, whoa," the guy said. "I demand a rematch," he said putting in arcade tokens for both of them.

Hazel shrugged and hopped back onto the platform and beat her own high score.

This went on three times before she said that she was tired of playing Dance Dance Resolution.

"Revolution," Frank corrected.

"Right," she said. Frank showed her the shooting games but she was kind of disgusted that it now wasn't enough for people to go out and shoot animals, but now they had to make ("what are these called?") video games about it.

So they shot some hoops and he pawned her at the racing game instead.

The guy came back, very determined, and tried to talk them into one more game upon which Hazel accepted. So in went more tokens and they started. Hazel let the guy beat her, but he insisted that he'd won fair and square while everyone told him he hadn't.

"That was fun," Hazel said.

"Yeah it was," Frank agreed, taking her hand.

"I think Dance, Dance Resolution-"

"Revolution."

"-is my favourite game now."

"Awesome," Frank said. "I suck at it."

"You make up for it at basketball." She said.

"True," Frank said.

"And by being you in general," she said. Frank squeezed her hand.

**50 days to go: **

The Fifth Cohort spent the day at Camp Half-Blood.

Hazel was getting a tour from Nico, who was showing her a few special features of the Hades cabin whose knowers he shot. They'd been left alone to witness that because nobody was particularly interested in getting shot.

He and Percy were leaning against the bunks of the Poseidon cabin. Only one of the beds looked like it'd been touched in the last two hundred million years. Chimes of sea horses hung from the ceiling, as well as a school of fish. The bronze reflecting the light and the scales actually carved in by someone with a very steady hand.

"How's she doing?" Percy asked.

"Haze? Good," Frank said. "Did you know she pawns at Dance, Dance Revolution?"

"No…" Percy said. "Although from her, nothing surprises me. Where in the world did you find that game at Camp?"

Frank explained about the movies.

"That's sick," Percy said. "So with that card and Jason and Reyna's permission, she could pretty much do whatever she wanted now?"

"Yeah," Frank said. "Well, not alone. She'd get lost or confused or _something. _At least at this point in time."

"So you're going with her?" Percy asked.

"How'd you know?" Frank asked.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "How I would not know would be a better question. You'd do anything for her, and you're the only person she'd want to come along."

"Not true," Frank said. "Well, the part about me is. But there's you, Nico, Reyna, Jason, Valdez, her two friends from the third cohort Antonia and Carrie…"

"Don't make me hit you," Percy said. "Just… trust me. I suck at romance, but I know it's you she wants with her right now."

**47 days:**

"How do computers work?" Hazel suddenly asked. "I mean, I kind-of know what they do and I've sort-of seen some before. But... how?"

Frank tried to explain but Hazel had no idea and he had to define 'monitor' and 'mouse' for her over and over again, and it overall didn't go well. So he IM'ed Annabeth who had stopped at the bathroom to fix an ace bandage on her way to class and didn't appreciate the interruption. She explained as best as she could, which was better than what Frank would've done, and ignored a bell to explain Wi-Fi to them.

"So it's like… magic?" Hazel asked.

"Let's go with that," Annabeth said. "I'm sorry guys, but I'll be late. Bye."

"Bye Annabeth," Hazel smiled. Annabeth smiled back and cut the IM.

Frank had the best idea of life.

**46 days:**

Hazel nearly walked right back out.

"I thought apple was a fruit," she said sounding terrified.

"No. Well, yes. But it's also an electronics company." Frank said. "Leo loves their stuff."

"I thought that that was Mac?"

"That's another one."

"Why do they need to have two?" Hazel asked.

"There are more than two. Like, Samsung, HP, LG, Blackberry…"

"Why does everyone name computer companies after fruits or types of fruits?" Hazel asked.

"I don't know," Frank asked. "I guess it'd be stupid to have an iPod made by 'celery'. Now come on. You're going to love this."

He brought her to one of the iPads that was up on display.

"This is an iPad," he said.

"Like Thanatos has?" She asked. The example made Frank uncomfortable, but he went with something she already knew.

"Yes. Thanatos has an iPad." Frank said. "Slash across the screen with the finger," he said. She looked at him like he was insane but did so, and the page of apps change. Hazel's eyes boggle out.

"Oh my gods that's cool!" She said. She kept doing it. "Hey, it's the same little picture square things as before!"

"There are only a few pages of apps," he explained.

"Abs?" She asked, putting a hand on her stomach instinctively.

"Apps," Frank corrected. "That's short for 'applications'. The little squares that are games and calculators and stuff," he clarified.

"Oh," she said.

"You can only have as many apps as the memory lets you. Think of it as a person, it can't remember everything." Frank tried explaining. "The memory is called gigabits. If you look on the back it's written. You can't check on this one because it's tied down, but they come in 8, 16, 32 and 64 gigs…" Hazel nodded and she didn't look as hopelessly lost as he'd expected her too.

"How does the screen just flip like that?" She asked.

"It responds to touch," Frank said.

"Like you," she said tickling his side. Frank instinctively curled up on it and Hazel laughed.

"You funny," Frank said, flicking her hair. She tried to do the same, but he had a buzz cut and he was way too tall so it didn't work.

Hazel smiled at him and he turned back to the iPad, and pointed out the small camera lens.

"Cameras are _that _small?" She asked, shocked.

"Yes," Frank said. "Please speak more quietly. The Apple guy is looking at us weird."

"Oops," Hazel said. "Sorry."

Frank opened the camera app and Hazel jumped back and ran into him when their picture appeared on the screen.

"Whoa," she said.

"Smile," he said before pressing on the camera button. The flash made Hazel blink, but the picture looked surprisingly good with them standing next to each other. Hazel's mind was obviously blown to infinity and beyond.

Frank found an app that did special effects on pictures. He turned them into cartoons, black and white, vintage, pop art, blobs of dots, mosaics… He drew a moustache on her. Hazel was quick to draw little devil horns and a unibrow on him. Frank added a goatee and an eye patch on her, and she drew columns of smoke pouring out of his ears… Their faces were more black than picture by the time they let it go.

Hazel found an app with which you could add cats to pictures and she enjoyed placing tigers next to Frank, curled up kittens on his shoulders, and tabbies on his head.

He introduced her to angry birds, the app that read the stars, and the Internet, but they had to change the iPad they messed around with or else the Apple guy would get mad.

Frank used to spend hours in the Apple store with his friends in Vancouver, so he knew how to stretch the time he could spend in these places to three hours with the mean clerks.

"This stuff is so cool," she said, playing Temple Run on an iPhone. "And this thing… it's a phone too? Gosh, it's small."

"Sure is," Frank said.

Blutooth explanations and intros would be for another day.

**45 days to go: **

The Fifth cohort sat down in the Principia's basement, the only place at camp that had electronics.

This wasn't one of Hazel's requests, but the whole cohort was homesick after the war and the only thing they could all agree on was the indisputable awesomeness of Disney. So Frank and Dakota got their hands on a bunch of Disney movies, they all sat down during free time and watched.

It worked out since the last Disney movie Hazel had seen was Snow-White and Dumbo, and most of the cohort was shell-shocked by this.

"We've got to show her Pocahontas," Clara said shaking her head. "No- no way around it- she _has _to see it."

"No, Lilo and Stitch! C'mon, Hazel would _love _Stitch." Cassidy said.

"No man, Hercules." Hector said shaking his head.

"Hercules is mythologically and historically incorrect, both in its very name and in script," the residential daughter of Athena, Bridgette, said. "The Little Mermaid is what we have to show her."

"Cinderella's the boss of Disney Princesses," Jessica said.

"Belle would pawn Cinderella in a fight!" Richard shouted.

"No shouting," Frank said.

"Peter Pan is such a great story," Bella said. "Flying and mermaids and never growing up…"

"We've all seen mermaids, stop making a big fuss about them." Elijah said. "Flying carpets like Aladdin, on the other hand…"

"Dude, there's a flying ship stationed at our ally camp," Josh said. "But has anybody here ever seen talking Toys in real life? I think not!"

"This is going too far," Dakota said.

Frank was enjoying this debate but he agreed, and so they drew out of a hat. Aladdin, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast ending up being the choices. Frank was not wavering, or else they'd be there all night, and Dakota wolf-whistled and got everyone to shut up and appreciate that they had snuck Disney movies into the fort of the most badass army in the world.

Never would Frank have guessed, even with the Fifth Cohort, how much singing along went down.

When they were done Dakota put the movies back in their boxes and by making his shrill-screaming-girl sound, got everyone's attention.

"Okay, so that was great," he said. "But now the real question begins. Hazel? What was your favourite?"

Everyone starred her down and Frank turned to face her. She was sitting cross-legged, pretty much in the middle of the room, her eyes like a deer in the headlight.

"Umm…" She said.

"It was Aladdin, wasn't it?" Elijah called out.

"Don't force her to say Aladdin," Frank said.

"Aladdin was really magic and I liked the end and the genie and the carpet," she said. Elijah stood up, arms in the air. "But the songs in the Lion King were super awesome."

Half of the room cheered.

"But I really liked Beauty and the Beast because it was really sweet and the characters were funny and Belle was cool and the little teacup was amazing and I'm sorry…" Hazel said really fast.

The other half of the room cheered.

**43 days to go:**

"Is there anything you want to do today?" Frank asked Hazel as they walked to go get breakfast.

Hazel took a deep breath. "My whole life I've been either a freak or a misfit or I've somehow stuck out. I guess I just want to do legion things and be a legionnaire. It that okay?"

"Sure," Frank said. "Anything you want."

**37 days to go:**

Hazel's eyes were fixated on the escalator.

"I promise they won't eat you," Frank said.

"How in the world do they pop in and out of the ground without stopping?" Hazel asked.

"I've never thought about it," he said. "A motor probably, and they fold up right?"

"They do?"

"You'll see at the top," he said. He took her hand and brought her on the escalator, her eyes starred at the steps and Frank was glad that nobody else was around because he'd hate to have to explain why his sort-of-kind-of-it's-complicated girlfriend was so fascinated. Escalators were usually mundane, people forgot how amazing it was that they could go places without walking.

"Frank, they're disappearing…" She said once they got to the top.

"You have to step onto the metal part of the floor," he said.

"I…" Hazel shook her head and just did it.

"See? Escalators are fun." He said.

Hazel didn't look convinced so they just moved across the mall. He figured that she had to see _one _in her lifetime. If he'd wanted to go big he'd have gone to the Mall of America or West Edmonton Mall, but he was working with a timeline. Berkeley was just as good as any other.

They found a hat store. Frank pointed out the NHL teams he saw. Hazel stretched to reach one. She was too short, so Frank handed it down to her. She thanked him, and put it on his head. Frank grabbed a snapback and put it on her head. It forced her untamed curls to flatten out around her face again. She smiled, presumably because the hat Frank was wearing was pink with Hello Kitty's face on it.

Another store was a Body Shop store. Hazel wasn't picky about going into stores she didn't know. Someone had told her about 'YOLO' and she'd decided that even if she'd lived twice, she should respect the message and do _all the things _that she could. Long story short (and also because Frank didn't want to relive it); Frank walked out of there smelling like strawberries.

Frank had to stop in front of a bookstore just to stare at a headline reporting drama about his favourite hockey player getting transferred.

After a while of just walking around and looking in random stores for random things there was no chance of them buying, Frank spotted a Starbucks.

"Do you know what Starbucks is?" He asked.

"That," she said pointing to the store. He made a face at her and she grinned innocently like 'hi, hi'.

"I mean, what they make?"

"Coffee?" She guessed.

"Okay, since everything you've given me as an answer comes from looking at the store, I'll go with 'why no Frank, I have never experiences Starbucks'." Frank said. So he brought her along and told her to pick a kind of Frappuccino because she had to have one.

"Isn't that coffee?" Hazel asked.

"Frappuccinos are more than coffee," Frank said.

"He's right," the cash register said nodding helpfully.

"What's coconut cream?" She said after starring for a while.

"It's a kind of Frappuccino."

"O… kay?" Hazel said.

So while the guy got the Frappuccino ready, Frank explained that it was coffee blended with ice and other stuff and usually topped with whipped cream and that it was really good.

"So why aren't you getting one?" Hazel asked.

"Because I don't drink coffee," he said. "Bad things happened last time I did."

"Oh," Hazel said. She was looking like she might ask, and Frank hoped to every god out there that she wouldn't.

As they walked away she took her first sip. Her eyes widened and she took a long sip that lasted forever.

"That's so good!" She said.

"I know," he said.

"It's just coconut and coffee but…"

"I know," Frank nodded.

"You have to try this," she said.

"I already have, Haze." He reminded her.

"No, you _have _to try this." She said.

That was another thing he loved about Hazel, when she got happy or excited she could get _really _happy and excited. Like, some people got depressed when bad things happened. Hazel got hyper about good things, things that made her smile, things that made people feel good about the world they lived in. It always put a smile on his lips. And so he took a sip and agreed that it was delicious.

They watched an amateur performer on a make-do stage for a while, during which Hazel finished her first ever Frappuccino and tossed the plastic cup away. They didn't stay until the end of the show because it wasn't great.

They were walking in front of a clothing store Hazel starred at the way a mannequin was dressed- booty shorts and a deep V neck.

"Well somebody's got nerve!" She said. "Who would wear that?"

Frank did his best not to laugh. That was the kind of huffing and protesting that his grandmother did. He didn't even try to explain the logic behind that to Hazel and they just kept walking.

Hazel spotted an antique store was squashed between two stores, and she tugged his hand and they went in.

They were both wandering around, Hazel suddenly walked faster and Frank followed her to a record player.

"Oh wow, look at it," she said eyeing it with a smile on her face.

"It's refreshing to see two youths admiring technology not in the form of Apple i-whatever they are," someone said giving them both a start. It was an old man, the owner most likely. He hobbled over to them.

"I love these," Hazel said. "I mean, I know there are iPods and all that are smaller and easier to carry around… but it's fun to pick a record and put it in and just to have everyone singing along to the same song, and then switching the side."

"Vinyl records have a charm to them," he agreed with her. She nodded and pushed a curl behind her ear.

"Wait one minute, young lady," he said. He hobbled to behind the counter and came back with a huge square paper envelope that he'd been keeping between the pages of a book. He took out a black disk.

"I keep this in store to prove that it works," he said. His hand was shaking and putting the disk used too many fine motor skills for him.

"Here, let me," Hazel said holding her hand out. The old man obliged, and Hazel opened the lid of the record player, and placed the vinyl disk in. She turned it on, picked a speed, picked up the record player's arm and placed the pointy needle bit (stylus) on the record. The music started right away, jazz. Hazel's face brightened up.

"All the Things you are by Jerome Kern," she said recognising the song.

"Sung by Tony Martin," the old man nodded. The voice was somewhere in the baritone level, and not exactly Frank's taste. But Hazel sung along. She hadn't forgotten a word.

"I love this song," Hazel said.

"My favourite as well," the old man agreed. Two songs later the record started scratching and screeching and the old man winced, and Hazel took the record out.

"It's old," he said. "Old and used."

"At least it was used," Hazel said. "That's the point of music. And the beginning still plays lovely."

Frank wasn't sure how long they were in the antique store, switching records and listening to songs. Some Hazel knew, and others were after her time. Most of them weren't half bad, actually. Hazel poked Frank until he could repeat the chorus of 'Darn that Dream'.

Eventually there were no more records to listen to and the conversation between Hazel and the owner had worn thin.

"I should go back to work, I have a beautiful writing desk from Iceland that needs some polishing," he said. "It was a pleasure speaking to you young lady, and a pleasure meeting you young man," he said holding his hand out. Hazel beamed at him and shook his hand, ditto to Frank.

"You found yourself something special," the old man told Frank. He looked at Hazel and smiled.

"I know," he said.

"Thank you for the music," Hazel said.

"Anytime, young lady." He said before hobbling to the back of the store.

That pretty much made Hazel's afternoon, Frank could tell by the light in her eyes and the smile on her lips and the bounce in her step. She'd found something that was like home after all this time.

**33 days to go:**

Frank had planned this out with Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Piper and Nico. They all agreed to his huge master plan.

Beforehand though, he had to get his story straight with Arion, transforming into a horse and having a full-out conversation with him. For the first time he fully understood the extent of his bad language. His ears were bleeding, but in the end Arion had accepted to help out the silly Chinese-Canadian baby man ("My name is Frank by the way"/ "Who gives a £/ %?") because in the end it was for Hazel.

"This is happening in about two weeks," Frank clarified again. "And we'll leave early so-"

"I'm not an idiot. Transform back into your silly baby man form and leave me alone."

**28 days to go:**

Hazel sat in a library, surrounded by books.

She hated reading, but she hated not knowing the ends of things more.

Well, obviously she knew some of it. Hitler had been killed, Germany hadn't won the war… But she wanted to know more. She wanted to know the news of after 1941.

And so she would sit down in this library the whole afternoon, reading, and discovering the part of history she hadn't been alive for.

**25 days to go: **

That day, the particular group of legionnaires she'd ended up sitting with were talking about baseball and their favourite teams. Before two of them could draw blood over a Yankees vs. Giants debate, a guy asked;

"Hazel, do you have a favourite team?"

Hazel nodded. "The Brooklyn Dodgers," she said.

"Oh- umm, Hazel? They moved in, like, 1950. They're the LA dodgers now." Sebastian said.

"Oh," she said her cheeks getting warm. "LA Dodgers, I mean."

"Because of Jackie Robinson?" Marcus asked.

"Sorry?" Hazel asked.

"He was the first black baseball player in the National League," Sebastian said. "He was ground-breaking. He was one of the best players of his time."

"The best," Marcus said.

"That's up to debate," Sebastian said.

"I never heard of him," Hazel said. "Truth be told, it's just that the boys in blue rock."

"So you don't like the Giants, I suppose?" Sebastian asked.

"Nope," Hazel said shaking her head. "No way. Nuh-uh."

"They're in San Francisco now," Marcus told her.

"Oh man, I live in Giants city that stinks." She said, making them laugh.

**23 days to go:**

Jason and Hazel were in New Rome for the afternoon, but Frank didn't feel like going. It was the one year anniversary since his mom had gone to Afghanistan for the last time, and his morale kind of sucked.

But it was still a day off for the legion so he transformed into a peregrine falcon, the fastest bird in the world, and flew home. It took about an hour and a half.

If he'd have figured out that he'd be coming before that morning, Frank would have contacted his old friends with hell of a story to tell them.

He landed at the cemetery and transformed behind some pine trees. He walked up to the plough where he'd watched his mom receive a state funeral. Grandmother lay to the right.

Vancouver had the rainy day humidity to it and even if the clouds were keeping the water in, Frank felt drizzle all over his face. It was one of those days when you watched Sports Network reruns in your sweats and didn't do anything productive.

For a second he just starred at the graves, the numbers on them forever changing him and the name forever haunting him.

"Hey Mom," he said. "Hey Grandmother."

Talking to the stones felt stupid, but he was alone, and after seeing the Underworld and seeing the world… well, he was a little more hopeful that maybe they _were_ listening.

"Camp's good, and they're cool with the family now. So the whole full-circle thing worked out. Percy's good, he and his girlfriend are safe for another few months before the world might face another apocalypse so he's just enjoying it. Hazel's good for now. Grandmother, you'd be so upset to know that she's not going to be around for much longer. I'd keep her close to me forever but that's not something she's got.

So long story short, I lost you two and now I'm going to lose her, except I'm trying to make it better because you can't stop death but you can make it better. And that's what I'm trying to do for the first time. For me and for her, because she can't have it bad another time; she can't have a life so she's gonna have to take death, but she needs some good in there."

Frank swallowed.

"I... I don't know why it matters. I just… thanks for showing me that if it's hard, it means you're doing it right. Because I think I'm doing a goddamned brilliant job." He said.

**20 days to go:**

When Hazel woke up and got dressed like a robot, she _just _noticed the envelope in her shoes before pulling them on. She fished it out, noticed the Amazon logo in the upper right corner, sat down on the bed she'd yet to have made, and read.

_Thursday September 16 2010_

_Dodgers Stadium_

_Los Angelos Dodgers_

_-VS.-_

_Toronto Blue Jays _

_Sec 136 Row 21 Seat 7_

Hazel's jaw dropped and she pulled on her shoes, quickly made her bed and ran to go find Frank (and then proceeded to wait outside the boys' barrack until they were all out) to go tackle him with a hug because no way anybody else had done this.

**18 days to go:**

Hazel was nearly bobbing up and down on her seat, her smile splitting through her face. That had to make Frank smile.

He'd been lucky to get those tickets. He had contacted Hylla, which wasn't very safe, but when he told her about Hazel and the sixty days and how it was for her, she'd just told him she'd send him the earliest tickets she had for the Dodgers and cut the IM. He'd been lucky to know she liked the Dodgers too; Sebastian had come tell him that his girlfriend had good taste in baseball and that he should take her to see a game.

After that it'd been easy to ride Arion to LA.

"I've never actually _seen _a baseball game." Hazel confessed as they waited for the game to start.

"You haven't?" Frank asked.

Hazel shook her head. "It was too expensive and there wasn't a team in New Orleans and mom didn't like traveling. I used to listen to them on the radio. Although Sammy used to live in New York and he got in once, selling pretzels at a little booth, so he told me about it. I think he got fired for paying more attention to the game than to the pretzels after one game."

"Probably," Frank said. "I wouldn't be able to work at an arena and focus on my job. I've never been to a baseball game either."

"Really?" Hazel asked.

"Yeah, the only major league team in Canada is the Blue Jays, and they're all the way in Toronto because everything's in Toronto." Frank said. "Besides," he lowered his voice. "I kind of like hockey better."

"Oh my gods," Hazel rolled her eyes. "And then you go tell people to stop with the Canadian stereotypes, eh?"

Frank gave her a look and she burst out laughing.

Soon after the anthems were sung, and the game started. It was a pretty slow few innings, but it started picking up as the intermission got closer.

During the intermission they got popcorn because it was Hazel's favourite non-meal food.

A ball went into the stands and Frank nearly caught it, but it sailed to the seat row behind them.

In the end, the score was 4-6 for the Dodgers, which just made Hazel really happy as they rode back to camp. Riding on Arion was not a time for chatting, but she was basically radiating happiness.

Great success.

**17 days to go: **

The Valdez was at Camp Jupiter.

Well, correction. It wasn't just Leo who'd popped up at camp out of the blue (that was Percy's thing, after all.) Cabin Nine was supposed to come and fix a chunk of the Principia that had gotten blown to bits, but that went down relatively quickly because children of Hephaestus were children of Hephaestus. So Leo decided to sit down in a tree and watch the Fifth cohort train, shouting unhelpful encouragements in the likes of; "CAESAR DID IT FASTER PEASANTS, GO, Go, GO!"

"Frank, make him go." Bella said.

"Please, we're begging you."

"I actually like Valdez," Elijah said.

"So do we, who doesn't, but enough is enough," Cassidy said.

"I have no grounds to make him go," Frank said. "Technically he's being helpful."

"Frank," Clara complained.

"Frank," Dakota complained too.

"Fine, I'll go talk to him." Frank replied, hands up.

It took about five minutes to get Leo down from the tree. It took another five to convince him that Jason needed to concentrate even more than Frank did, and off Leo went off to do that.

Leo sat with Hazel, Frank, Jason and Reyna at muster, but ended up talking to nearly everyone. Leo was about as sociable and friendly as a baby dolphin and he was one of the only Greeks all Romans could agree upon as being a good guy.

The war games were cancelled for that night because of some damage that had been done to the fort the same morning when a minor earthquake had hit. So they went walking around New Rome. Leo skipped most of the way, but that was another story.

Hazel was talking to him about something she'd read in a newspaper she'd found lying around Jason's villa when she'd been looking for him.

"So they fill these water bottles with trash and use them as bricks. They built, like, 17 schoolhouses in Guatemala." Hazel said.

"Are you trying to get rid of me by sending me to Central America?" Leo asked suspiciously.

"No," Hazel laughed. "I'm just saying it'd be cool if you'd do that."

"That Styx isn't resistant enough for multiple half-bloods to live in," Leo said.

"It is, it's great, look it up!" Hazel insisted.

"Valdez you're not winning this one," Frank said right away.

"Look, look, look," Valdez said. "Career orientation and whatnot is getting pressing as heck for us all, so what if I promise to go to Guatemala and build schools when I have to get a job?"

"Deal," Hazel said.

"Can't you just stay at camp eternally?" Frank asked.

"Technically yes, but then this thing grew in my brain and it's called a conscience, so no." Leo said. "I mean, you guys still have the legion for X amount of time, I keep forgetting, so it's not a problem…"

"Me it's just not a problem," Hazel said.

"Right," Leo said awkwardly. "Anyways, Hazel just solved my dilemma so thanks."

"You're too good for college and engineering and all that?" Frank asked.

"University is for peasants," Leo said decisively. "But I might show up sometime."

"Peasant," Frank said.

"You're a peasant." Leo said.

"No you're a peasant."

"_Again?" _Hazel sighed.

"I think you're a peasant."

"I think you're wrong, because you're a peasant."

"You have the face of a peasant."

"_Guys…" _Hazel tried.

"You have the eyelids of a peasant."

"You walk like a peasant."

"You talk like a peasant."

Suddenly the ground between the two of them blew up and Leo and Frank both scrambled backwards. Hazel was starring them down, arms crossed, with the serious eye of a teacher.

"I hate it when she does that," Leo muttered as they walked away.

"Me too."

"Glad we can agree on something, peasant."

Hazel groaned in frustration. "You _guys." _

"We need a pie chart for 'Things that Give Hazel Levesque-Zhang Headaches'."

"Well you just earned yourself 25 000% more of that pie chart," Hazel said looking embarrassed. Frank was probably blushing. Leave it up to Leo. The guy was on fire tonight.

Overall it was a good night, though. They made a pretty good team, Hazel, Leo and Frank. They'd had their drama but now they were at the point where they actually occasionally _missed _each other and could live with each other's faces.

So after he and the other children of Hephaestus loaded up on the Argo II and left for the East Coast Hazel said; "I'm going to miss him." as they watched the Argo II, now equipped with multi-coloured and strobe lights, fly off in the night.

"I hope I get to see him again."

Frank added that to his to-do list.

**15 days to go:**

He dragged her out of bed before waking hours of most legionnaires, and told her to get dressed.

"I want to sleep." She moaned.

"You did that yesterday, come on." Frank said. "I've got something to show you, and it's got to be today."

"No," Hazel said stuffing her pillow over her face.

"Arion's already saddled up," Frank said quietly as to not wake anybody else up.

Hazel sat up, her pillow falling to the floor. "Arion? Wait- where are you taking me?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out if you _get out of bed." _Frank said. He had to hit her with her pillow twice before she got out of bed.

"If you're not out in five minutes I'm assuming you went back to sleep and I will hit you with your pillow once more." He said.

"Gosh, you're pretty dedicated to this trip." Hazel said, kicking the covers off her legs.

Curiosity won her over and she came out with a dagger in her hand soon.

"I'm assuming we're going somewhere mortal?" She said, which explained the dagger instead of the long _spatha_ sword.

"Right," Frank said. She nodded and put the dagger in a holster on her calf. She pulled the sleeves of her hoody over her hands.

"My gods, it's cold in the morning." She said.

At the saddle, Arion was up and ready. Hazel got on first, and Frank climbed on behind her.

"You know where to go," Frank said. Arion ran by so fast Terminus didn't get a chance to stop them.

A six hour trip to Anaheim took them about an hour thanks to Arion's early morning performance. Frank reached into the backpack where his arrows were hidden, and handed him an apple. He knew the plan; be back here after the fireworks or else you don't get a second one.

Hazel was staring at the horizon in shock.

"There's a castle…" She said.

"I think it's supposed to be Sleeping Beauty's, but I'm not great with the princesses." Frank said.

"Wait- that's a Disney movie…" Hazel said.

"Umm-hmm. In 1955 they opened a park." Frank said.

Hazel's jaw dropped and she looked at him in shock, the drop of her jaw half twisted into a smile and her eyes glinting.

"You brought me to _Disneyland?" _ She asked.

"Surprise," Frank said.

"Technically it was a group effort." Someone spoke up.

Hazel turned towards the voices and ran up to Percy with a huge smile on her face, tackle-hugging him, then Annabeth, followed by Nico and then Piper.

"Everyone knew about this but me?" She asked.

"Even Arion," Frank said.

"You guys are so sneaky!" She said.

"It's for a good cause," Nico said.

They sat down outside the park and had breakfast, which the Greek campers had brought in the form of fresh-baked bagels with cheese and ham from some bakery in New York.

"My mom lent me the camera and gave me a Tupperware of cookies, and those aren't going to get through the park security so I suggest we eat now." Percy said pulling that out of his backpack too.

They munched on cookies as they waited in line. Since it was only seven in the morning, bright and early, they still had to wait for the park to open. Hazel wasn't the only one buzzing with excitement because Disneyland was just _always _exciting. Besides; none of them had ever been.

They talked and generally caught up. Percy was going to pull an all-nighter when he got back to New York because he was skipping a geography project to come to Disney, and Annabeth was appalled to learn that Percy hadn't finished the project considering he'd had it for a week or something.

Nico informed Hazel that Dad said hello.

Piper apologised for Leo's absence and justified it with the fact that he was currently a bush. Percy started laughing again and said that he had never heard a funniest comeback to 'hello brats'…

Hazel told them about the baseball game.

They got in without a problem; the mist had hidden Frank's arrow (which was great because they searched his bag) and so were all the other weapons snuck into the park. This was going better than expected considering that that was the biggest thing Frank had lost sleep over about this trip. Other popular worried were "What if Cinderella tries to eat us", "What if we have to steal a golf cart to get away and we become criminals" and "It seems just our luck to be stuck on a rollercoaster a thousand feet above the ground, duelling a harpy, with a cart coming right at us".

Sadly the ambrosia was confiscated because you weren't allowed to bring food in the park. Frank just hoped that the security guards didn't have a taste when they looked through the pile of confiscated food. 'Ooh brownies' would turn into 'AHH my lungs are on fire! Literally!'

Main Street USA was flooded with the first few people in the park. Mickey Mouse was saying hello and greeting guests. A train station above the entrance was being loaded up by people. There was a fantastic view of the fairy tale castle and flowers grew in organised coloured rows. The place was somewhat decorated for Halloween, especially Walt Disney's off-limit apartment above the fire house.

"They're early for Halloween," Hazel said.

"It's September 19th," Nico said. "And they're a commercialised park. Right after Halloween these people start decorating for Christmas."

A horse drawn carriage completely halted in front of them, the horses starring at Percy intrigued. Percy scratched the top of their heads and Annabeth was laughing so hard she had to go walk away for a while. She looped back once Percy had convinced the horses to go on with their usual business and a Disney employee had come to apologise to them greatly with two tickets to eat somewhere for free.

"Thank you," Piper said.

They were left alone after that. Piper still occasionally used charmspeak by accident.

Considering that their magic credit card was presumably drying up the credit card account of some god, as a minor revenge to immortals for just generally being immortals, they gave the tickets away. Piper offered they buy England to _really _get the god bankrupt.

"Being on Main Street makes you want to break into song, doesn't it?" Percy commented.

"No," everyone replied.

"Yeah it does, yeah it does, yeah it does…" Percy said poking Piper.

"I will not sing." Piper said.

"There's a song?" Hazel asked innocently. This was totally just a trick to help out her cousin.

"Yes there's a song," Piper said.

"I think you should show Hazel the song." Percy said.

Onboard the Argo II they had learned that Piper was a fantastic singer because of the control she had on her already pretty fantastic voice.

"I don't think that's necessary to Hazel's culture."

"A song sounds great!" Hazel said.

Piper looked at Hazel, gauging whether or not she was serious.

Then she took a deep breath.

"Gather round everybody,  
Gonna tell you a story,  
About a little fellow,  
He's really very mellow,  
Sells the daily paper,  
On Main Street, USA." Piper sang. She hit high notes and held them and changed her pitch without wavering. It was the kind of voice that made you wish that people and radios had replay buttons.

"Wow Piper, can you show us the chorus?"

"Shut up Percy," Piper said. "I don't want to get accidentally hired at Disney. Again."

"Again?" Frank asked. Everyone was already dying of laughter.

They halted and watched some dancers wearing old fashioned clothing who were hoping on and off a street car and twirling ribbons.

Then they wandered to Fantasyland and did a few rides.

Soon it was established that for the rest of the day, one of them would always run and go get a fast pass (a kind of let's-go-in-the-line-where-you-don't-have-to-wait-long ticket) for the rides that they wanted to go on, because Annabeth had pointed out that it'd save time. She was great at coordinating everything.

They did the Mad Tea Party with the teacups that spun around and turned on themselves, Dumbo the Flying Elephant (where you sat inside a Dumbo, moved up and down in circles and were subjected to endless Hannibal jokes by Hazel and Percy if you were Frank), and walked through Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Loads of little girls dressed up completely like princesses with sparkles in their hair and poufy dresses and so forth were coming out of a place called the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and Hazel and Nico tried to push each other into it as Piper actually charmspoke Percy into going up to the counter. Frank had to go drag his butt out before he did something stupid, like ask if there was a costume in his dress size.

In Tommorowland they went onto Space Mountain, which Frank had gotten Fast Passes for, because why the heck not. He had never heard Hazel scream more than when they were on the roller coaster in the dark.

They rode cars at Autopia and Percy was insisting that he totally needed a real version of the car he was driving. Hazel was pawning Nico, against whom she was having a race. It suddenly occurred to Frank that she'd never get to drive a real car on a real road on her way to a real job or activity or club or whatever.

Then they had to go on the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage because Percy was there and, as Percy put it, "They thought they were being hilarious" (which they were). They rode the Monorail because Hazel was fascinated by it, nearly pushed Percy off (Tommorowland was just not his park) and found a restaurant that had a Pasta Station, a Salad Station and a Pizza Station. No half-blood was found near the salad station except for Piper, meaning they all pointed and laughed at her as she waited in line with the other vegans, as they got delicious and holly pizza.

They went on Splash Mountain after lunch and the ride stopped working when they were at the top, about to splash down. Frank complained to Piper that she shouldn't have let Leo get in trouble because if he'd have been around he'd have fixed the ride. Percy and Annabeth were having a conversation with the people behind them, and Percy was about to tell the pun of a (presumably) lame joke when the ride started up again.

They found Eeyore, had to explain to Hazel who Eeyore was, and then stumbled on Tiger.

"I think Tiger's a half-blood," Percy said. "No way I'm a half-blood with my ADHD and he's not."

They ran into an Empoussa at Adventureland, but Percy quietly dispatched it behind the Tiki Room and they left that part of the park.

They lost Piper at some point and found her staring at a tree.

"You okay?" Annabeth asked.

"I swear, I _just _saw Agent P," she said.

"Isn't he, like, one of the rarest characters to see?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know, but I swear I just saw him."

"Is that like James Bond's friend or something?" Hazel asked.

"No it's a blue platypus that saves the world periodically," Nico said. "That's right, I watch Phineas and Ferb." He said defensively when he got some looks.

Hazel was still so, so confused.

"Just think of Percy, but better looking." Frank said. "And with a hat."

They wandered to the New Orleans Square and Hazel froze the second she saw the sign. Frank took her hand and gave it a squeeze. She swallowed and walked into the park. It wasn't as much of a square as a bunch of intricate streets tangling around shops and restaurants and buildings. Hazel looked around, her eyes soaking everything from the detailed porch to the building's colours in.

"Did they get it right?" Piper asked gently.

Hazel nodded. "Yeah. It looks just like it. Like, Sammy could come and tap my shoulders telling me that I'm it, and I could turn a corner and be home."

Frank squeezed her hand and Hazel smiled. "This is really cool." She said, looking at the buildings.

They did the two rides there; Pirates of the Caribbean, during which Frank shot Percy some looks that _had _to be shot as their little boat bobbed along the ride. Percy mouthed at him to turn around and shut up every time, and Frank was finally attacked by a hurricane the size of his hand.

In the Haunted Mansion there was an introduction through an intercom system that went something like; "Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. I am your host – your 'ghost host.'"

"Well some Californian theme park needs to get their facts straight," Annabeth muttered, which made Piper snort.

Nico and Hazel burst laughing in the middle of the Haunted Mansion, which broke the whole climax they had going on. Neither of them apologised for it.

Nobody rushed Hazel out of the New Orleans Square. It was like when she and Frank had gone to the antique shop and she'd found the record player. She was coming to peace with her past instead of blacking out and reliving it and being scared. But when she suggested to get going they got on the Disneyland Railroad and got off at Mickey's Toontown.

Colourful and cartoon-like buildings surrounded them. They visited Mickey and Minnie's houses, and Annabeth spotted a _dracanae _in the park so they Shadow traveled away thanks to Nico.

Conveniently they ended up near the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Nico insisted he hadn't meant it, but everyone knew he just wanted to do the ride, so they went on. Hazel screamed even more than she had on Space Mountain, and so did someone else that Frank couldn't pinpoint but knew he was traveling with.

They went on the California Screamin' Rollercoaster and since she was in the row in front of him, sitting with Piper, Frank realised that Annabeth was the other screamer.

"I am _horrible _at rides since the Argo II," Annabeth explained.

"Leo wasn't that bad of a driver." Hazel said.

"No, it was more of the twenty two times I fell from the boat midflight that scar me." Annabeth said.

They found a theater that showed a show with Aladdin and went to watch that. By the time they got out it was starting to get dark.

They headed back to Fantasyland and Percy froze mid step. He asked Hazel to remind him of which Disney movie she had liked best so far. She answered Beauty and the Beast, so he grabbed her hand and dragged her somewhere.

They ended up getting their picture taken with Belle, excited like they were all five years old. They found Chip later that day, and so Frank's favourite picture of life was decisively Hazel giving a hug to a miniature teacup.

They found some ice cream and called it supper because they were unsupervised adolescence (Frank had a popsicle because ice cream was not worth ruining this day.)

They looked through a gift store and found a whole shelf dedicated to Mickey ears. Percy's favourites had Kermit the Frog's face on it. Nico was not amused by these ears but eventually Hazel and Percy pinned him down and forced Halloween-themed ears onto his head. Piper found Percy and Annabeth matching bride and groom ears- which led to them not being amused but made Nico feel better. Hazel was happy to try on a purple sequined headband with ears and a green bow. Piper had Minnie ears. Frank humoured everyone with Dumbo-themed ears, and she made more jokes about Hannibal thinking that she was _hi-larious. _They asked the clerk to take a picture and something about seeing six teenagers wearing mouse ear hats and acting like little kids made her oblige.

They sat on a low wall outside and looked through the day's pictures. Most of them included someone trying to push someone else off of something, but they were overall great pictures.

"I'll get them printed out for you guys," Percy said turning it off. "I'll ask Paul, he has fancy printers at the school."

They did another ride, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, before calling it a day and gathering in front of the castle where a crowd was already forming.

At 9:00 PM the firework show started, with some dialogue about 'twue wuv' as Piper put it and wishing and dreams. The fireworks started, bursting in thin air with cannon blasts and shades from all over the rainbow. Different bursts of light and colour shone off of Hazel's face, and her eyes were brighter than ever. They were pretty amazing.

So were the fireworks.

After that the crowd was rallied like cattle and pushed back towards the entrance. Percy, Nico, Annabeth and Piper said their goodbyes, promised to see them again soon and shadow traveled back to New York. Nico would be exhausted, he might actually spend a night in his designated place of residence.

Frank held Hazel's hand so that they wouldn't get separated. Also because he felt like it.

"So," he asked. "Worth waking up early for?"

She got on her toes and kissed his cheek. "It'd be worth anything. Thank you, this was the best. I will never doubt you again when you wake me up at five in the morning."

Frank laughed and they met up with Arion outside the park. Hazel climbed on and Frank sat behind her. As the horse galloped back home she was obviously falling asleep.

"You can sleep if you want," he said in her ear. "I'll make sure you don't fall."

"Thank you," she said softly, her head resting on his chest. She fell asleep quickly.

**12 days to go:**

It was a weekend off for the legion. Since the war, there'd been a lot of them to try and help people cope and regain their balance and keep their energy and morale up. Also because a lot of Romans liked to hang out at Camp Half-Blood and the praetors figured it was a good way to get friendly.

Hazel was hanging out in New Rome with two actual friends who were actually girls she'd made after the War with Gaia. They were third cohort legionnaires, so not too snobby but not resentful of the fifth for all the war games spent losing together.

They were just wandering around when Carrie Holly (Gwen's little sister) spotted a dress shop whose owner she knew. So they went in. Antonia and Hazel walked around the store looking at all the dresses hanging one after the other in the open closets, or exposed on models or hanging behind the cash register.

Hazel's eyes caught a dress.

It was a white halter dress, with the skirt made of layers of tulle. The rest was lace, which went to about the knees of whoever would wear it.

"That's pretty Hazel," Antonia said following her gaze.

"It's vintage," Hazel said. "Old. Like, from my time old."

"It'd look good on you. You should try it on." Antonia said. Without even consulting with Hazel she called; "Carrie! Carrie, can you get us a favour?"

And so Hazel got to try on the dress that the judges of the Underworld had showed her in during her judgement. She held her hair up for Antonia who zipped up the dress for her. It was a bit big on Hazel, but not as much as she'd have thought.

"Wait, let's put your hair up so you're really fancy," Antonia said.

"Braids." Hazel said immediately.

"Sure thing," her friend said untying her hair and twisting Hazel's hair up. Hazel fiddled with her straps. Holly smokes. Holly smokes. Her whole brain was hyperventilating.

"There, let's go show Carrie, kay?" Hazel must've looked nervous because Antonia winked. "You'll love it once we find a mirror."

So Antonia opened the door and Hazel picked up her dress to walk out. Carrie's jaw dropped and she came to help Antonia drag and pull her in front of a mirror.

Hazel's whole brain shut down and she felt her heart skip a beat. If she'd be just a few years older, just a handful of them, a few sets of 365 days… it would match exactly with what the judges of the Underworld had showed her when they'd listed the future she might have had if it weren't for Marie.

Looking in the mirror something occurred to Hazel.

If someone had shown her an engagement ring in a velvet box and she'd said yes, this would be the dress she'd have picked out for herself. The judges were right; such a great future might have been there for her if it weren't for Marie's greed and her wish and her bitterness. She was Hazel's mother in the technical way, and of course Hazel would never forget that. And she hadn't deserved the fields of punishment because she was good in the end, so it was hard to say that she'd have done things differently. But Hazel really owed herself one. She didn't owe things to her mother or to her ghosts and past. This dress was in her life right now, but Hazel wasn't going to walk down an aisle with it. Things were broken and half-fixed when they could have been splendid. They could have been glorious.

She didn't care about Marie anymore. For the first time in a long time, her mind was rested on the subject. It felt like a weight off her heart.

"You look beautiful," Carrie said. "That's such a pretty dress!" She smoothed out Hazel's skirt. "We need to create an excuse for you to wear it. We'll come up with something, we have to, oh my gods you're lovely!"

"Thank you," Hazel said.

Antonia was the legion historian, which also included photographer. She took out her camera, usually a heard-but-not-seen item and turned Hazel towards her. The owner didn't complain and Hazel smiled, arms down her side, and got her picture taken.

She'd found her dress in this New Roman dress store. She'd found the someone, in that New Roman fort.

**11 days to go: **

She and Nico appeared in a crowded square near a statue of a man riding a rearing horse. Right behind it stood Saint-Louis Cathedral.

They were in Jackson Square, _Place des Armes_.

The square was filled with tourists, people taking lazy strolls on Saturday afternoons, throwing Frisbees, walking their dogs. Tarot card readers were trying to lure tourists into their cons; musicians were playing instruments varying from the saxophone to the guitar; mimes were playing around as well as a variety of street performers. There were painters who had set up their easels facing the red brick Pontalba buildings that made up the sides of the square, caricaturists… It was alive, alive with art, just like Hazel loved and remembered it.

She and Nico watched over the shoulder of a sketch artist whose quick pencil strokes captured each leaf and branch and blade of grass he drew and added a mystical air to it, like fairies would scatter from the greens any second.

Hazel recognised a few art students whose teachers were starring over their shoulders and pointing out imperfections or advice.

"It's always like this," Hazel said. "Especially during the weekends."

"Do you have your sketchbook with you?" Nico asked.

"I think so," Hazel said patting the bottom of the book bag she'd borrowed from Carrie.

"You should draw with them. Didn't you want to be an artist?" Nico said.

So he posed for her, his arms like Usain Bolt, in front of the Cathedral. Nico had a sense of humour when he wasn't busy convincing the world that he was dark and mysterious and soulless.

She sat down on the ground, sketchpad on her knees and drew him. He liked it when she showed him the finished product, so she folded it up and gave it to her.

"There," he said putting it in his back pocket. "Take that off your bucket list; you're an artist in Jackson Square and someone bought your art. I now owe you five dollars."

Hazel pointed the ground floors of the Pontalba to Nico as shops and restaurants, the top were apartments.

"I knew a girl who lived in that building," she said pointing. "She was a real… well, I didn't like her."

"Want to go check the retirement homes for her?" He asked.

"Funny, funny brother," she said punching him in the arm. Nico laughed.

"Actually, funny, funny brother is hungry."

"What?" She asked. "We _just _had lunch at camp."

"Yeah, but I'm hungry again." Nico said.

"What in the world is your body doing to you?" Hazel sighed.

"I just shadow traveled."

"What a wimp, there were _two _of us and traveling with me through Pluto's realm is basically effortless." She said.

She dragged him into the coffee shop diagonally across the square; _Café du Monde. _She had the credit card she'd found, and she was pretty sure she knew how to use it, so she got them coffees spiced with chicory and beignets.

The person at the cash register wasn't very impressed with Hazel, but he helped her with the card fine. Probably because he wanted her money really badly. Hazel hoped she hadn't pressed a button in the likes of _now let's make it so that this card never ever works again._

They sat down at the table and Hazel blew on the mountain of powdered sugar and it flew onto Nico.

"PFFT!" Her brother said. "OH- ewe- it's in my nose!"

"It's tradition," Hazel said, "Since it's your first time here."

"It's also a tradition to trade girls for cows," Nico said crinkling his nose as if it'd help. "Some traditions are _meant _to die."

Nobody else in the proximity agreed with him.

When they were done they walked around some more. Nico wanted to see where Hazel had lived, and honestly so did she.

There weren't that many cars, but there was a horse drawn carriage. Hazel smiled when she thought of Percy on Main Street USA.

Houses stood alone, surrounded by corn-shaped fence post and painted colourfully. But mostly there were buildings with shops and apartments, sometimes both. Intricate ironwork porches hung above the wanderers on the streets below, shop doors were open, storefronts had clean and clear windows. She and Nico walked into two art galleries and walked out of one nearly right away when they saw _what _was being drawn. They walked right by a small stand operated by an old man on a camping chair because Hazel knew better than to walk to a stand where someone called her.

Finally Hazel stopped somewhere and looked at the building there.

"This isn't it," Nico said. "I am so sure of it."

"This used to be my school," she said. "St Agnes' School for Indian and Coloured Children."

It wasn't even one building anymore, but Hazel knew it was the same territory because the grass wasn't growing right and there was the same fence around it. It was a strip mall.

"I'm disappointed. I thought a place as wonderful and romanticised as New Orleans was above strip malls." Nico said.

"Strip malls are everywhere," Hazel said. "Besides, I'm glad as Hades that that school is gone. It was a horrible place that had horrible ideas about how people should be treated. They could have built a freaking _Walmart _for all I care."

"Right," Nico said.

They moved on back to the nice and old and pleasant part of the city. Hazel found the jazz club without a problem; she knew the walk by heart.

She was in a courtyard in which there was a restaurant with a green-and-white striped top and white round tables with fancy-backed chairs were gathered. There was also a fountain with naked cupids and shrubbery growing around it against a brick wall. Hazel walked to the building across from the café tables and looked up.

"That's where," she said. "It's still a jazz club underneath, I, wow, I can't believe it!" She said. "That was a jazz club when I lived here- my mom's window was that one on the right, my mom in the back over there. And that was a bakery."

"It's a clothing boutique now," Nico said.

"The bakery was family-run, so I guess someone didn't want to run it anymore." Hazel said. "That's too bad. Between the smell and the music this was _fantastic _when you woke up in the morning_." _

She even traced the route to Sammy's old house, which was still a house.

They walked around some more, Hazel pointing things out and Nico starring off sometimes.

"Stop looking at dead people," Hazel hissed under her voice.

He snapped out of it. "How do you know I was doing that? People never guess."

"Because I'm your sister, stupid," Hazel said. "And you're my brother and I know you."

They walked some more.

"Hazel?" He said after a while.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad I'm your brother." He said.

Hazel froze mid step and looked at him.

"For real?" She asked.

"Yeah, of course. You're cool." Nico said. He frowned. "What's going on with _that _face? You're surprised?"

"I always just assumed I was the _other _sister." Hazel said.

"Well…" Nico said. "Yeah you're my other sister. But it's not like I can't have two. And I do have two, and I got super lucky about it because I got two awesome ones." Suddenly he looked mad.

"Wait, wait, wait; you're telling me that if I hadn't been starring at the ghost and this hadn't been brought up, you'd have died thinking that you weren't my amazing sister but as some kind of… of Bianca substitute?"

Hazel didn't say anything. She loved Nico and she knew that he loved her but…

"That's stupid of you. I always assumed that you were the one Dad relied on for brains." Nico said. "But obviously you don't know this so I'm going to have to say it out loud and diverge the content of my soul; I'm glad I didn't find Bianca when I went to the Underworld. Because it gave me peace, and I met you."

Hazel looked at Nico, her mouth opened up. She blinked, surrounded by her town, surrounded by her jazz music; and for once surrounded by a family.

She threw her arms around his neck.

"I'm not glad that I came back, because now I'm losing more than before," Hazel said, still hugging him fiercely. "But I'm glad I met you."

Nico didn't respond to affection as well as others, so this could've gone either way. But he closed his arms around her and hugged her back.

**9 days to go: **

Single digits.

Frank swallowed hard when he woke up that morning.

Single digits.

That day Hazel asked Frank if she could skip training. He asked her if she was okay, she replied yes, so he agreed. He asked her if she wanted him around. For a second she hesitated, but said no thanks.

He didn't see her until supper, but she looked okay and happy then.

"Where were you?" He asked.

"I took a ride with Arion," she said. "But it's the last time I skip training, I promise."

"It doesn't matter."

"To me it matters, even if I'll never use it." Hazel said.

Frank managed to keep it together and not let that statement destroy him until he was alone in the baths that night.

**8 days to go:**

Hazel was spending a bit more time alone lately.

Like, that evening she rode to Berkeley on her own instead of having supper, insisting that she wasn't hungry, and checked out the mall again.

She stopped at an art supply store and bought three small canvases and some paint.

She stopped by the antique shop again and slipped a twenty dollar bill near the cash register before the owner realised that she was around. Business clearly wasn't good for this man, but he had treasures in his shop. He had history in it. Hazel wasn't sure which was more valuable.

"You again," he said with a smile when he spotted her, after turning back from where he was putting books up on the shelf.

"Hello," Hazel smiled at him. "I just came by to thank you again for the music again."

"That really made you happy, hmm?" He said. "It was nothing, my dear. This shop is ghostly empty most of the time. It was just nice to see someone interested."

"I'm very interested in history," she said. "I'm very interested in things that stay and live on. I… I have something for you."

She reached into her bad and took out her records.

These records were something she'd snuck to Alaska when they'd moved. They were her favourites, the records she'd always kept hidden so that mother wouldn't sell them when business was bad like she had with the rest. They'd been under her bed in Alaska when she'd lived there, and sure enough they were still there when she'd showed up to Alaska with Arion yesterday. Their covers were in horrible shapes, the colours had either leaked or faded and the corners were broken.

"My dear, this isn't a pawn shop," he said. "I don't trade objects for money."

"I know," she said. "But I'm not going to need these anymore, and I thought that it'd be a shame for them not to be listened to."

The old man accepted the few records and looked at the artists. Duke Ellington, a compilation of Ella Fitzgerald, a Christmas compilation.

"These are all amazing," he said.

"Ella Fitzgerald has 'How High the Moon' on it," she said. "That's my favourite. But Duke Ellington is just… Mood Indigo, Cotton Tail, In a Mellow Tone…"

"The best," he smiled. "Would you like to listen to one?"

Hazel had to say yes. While Duke Ellington played, she asked him about the writing desk he'd been polishing last time she'd come. He told her that it had already been sold, which was good because not many pieces had been recently. When they got to the second side of the record, he asked her why she was giving them to her. Wouldn't she use them? Didn't she have a record player for them?"

"I'm not going to need them." Hazel said.

"Why not? Everyone needs music. It's a second form of air."

"I just won't," Hazel said. "Trust me. They won't be missed."

"But you called them you're favourites."

"Oh, they are." Hazel said.

The man looked confused.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Of course."

"Where's your friend?" He asked.

"Back home."

"Is he okay?"

"I'm fine, sir. I'm doing great. The sun is shining, birds are tweeting, I saw my brother the other day, I just got home from a trip, and I got gumbo for supper…" She smiled to reassure him, but inside her heart was breaking. Here was a complete stranger, an old man who possibly had the same age as her, and he was more worried about her than her mother had been during the last two years of Hazel's life. "But thank you."

"If you need 'em back, you just come and see me." He said. "I'm not gonna sell them, just in case."

"Okay," Hazel said.

She never would. She'd never come back to this mall, and she'd probably never come back to Berkeley. All of these 'I will nevers' were starting to weigh on her. Starting to really take place inside of her and really show that, yeah, eternity was eternity and this time death would be forever.

**7 days to go:**

She got up extra early and painted outside the barrack, to the entrance at the left so that people couldn't see her (except the _aurae _working in the kitchen, but nature spirits seemed to always know what to say and what to keep for themselves).

**6 days to go:**

She finished her first canvas and worked on the second one, leaving them to dry in the stables under Ella's supervision since that was where she'd moved in.

"Do not pity the dead Harry, pity the living. And above all those who live without love." Ella said. Hazel assumed it was a quote.

"I don't deserve any pity then," Hazel said softly before walking back to her easel.

**3 days to go:**

Hazel showed at the office of the San Francisco Children's Hospital.

She was on her own. She'd told Jason and Reyna that she had something to do, had taken Arion out of Camp, and had told him to pick her up in a few hours.

"Excuse me?" She asked. The secretary looked up.

"Hello dear, how can I help you?"

"I'm here for your volunteer-for-a-day opportunity." She said. "I have a form filled out."

"Perfect!" She said. "How old are you, dear?"

"Thirteen," Hazel said.

"So you can't help with administration, is that okay?"

"Yes," Hazel nodded.

The woman took her sheet, read it, and checked for the signatures of recommendation. "Jason Grace, praetor of Rome" and "Reyna Bell, praetor of Rome" wouldn't carry as much weight if Hazel didn't have the mist on her side. Also they'd wonder why she wasn't in school if it weren't for that.

So she got a shirt with VOLUNTEER in big white letters on the back, and a nametag like 'Hello, my name is HAZEL', and taped it on her chest. She was given a business card with jobs she could do printed out on it, and was introduced to Ken, the volunteer manager on the floor she was assigned to, the oncology unit. He was thrilled to have someone young there today.

"The kids connect with younger people really well," he explained. "But usually only adults show during schooldays."

She was first shipped to the playroom, where she was paired up with a lonely little boy in a fluffy white bathrobe with a Spiderman bandana tied around his head who wanted to play Connect Four.

Hazel sat down on the racetrack carpet in front of him and asked him what his name was, Dylan, and what colour he wanted to be, black. He beat her on the first round, and Hazel beat him the next. He won the next two, and probably would've won again if a nurse hadn't come to get him for a radiation treatment.

He thanked Hazel and off they both went, leaving Hazel to pick up the game and find another child who needed to be played with.

As the day went on, she played with Morgan, Mae, Bridgett, Colin and Jasper.

She also sat at Hanna's bedside and coloured with her, listening to the story behind the teddy bear she was clutching. It was too big for her tiny frail arms, but he was fluffy according to Hanna, and perfect to hug and use as a pillow at the same time. Hanna had the widest, toothiest and brightest smile. It lit up her whole face and if she weren't pale and bald, she wouldn't look sick.

Ken then came to find her so that she could read a story to a cluster of kids in the playroom because the regular volunteer for that was giving birth right now. Hazel had to work hard to push through her unofficially-diagnosed-dyslexia, but reading went better than expected.

She played in the puppet theater with a little girl named Molly who had clumps of red hair missing. Then her brother Jacob wanted to play, but the theater was too small for all three of them so Hazel handed him her dragon puppet and went off.

She sharpened the crayons at the craft table, and listened to a five year old named Toby tell her all about his favourite videogame, something called Super Mario Brothers with plumbers and turtles and princesses and a bad guy. His mother smiled at him the whole time he talked, kneeling on his chair and colouring in a pumpkin.

She counted puzzle pieces and put game pieces in their right boxes.

She played foosball with a girl her age named Frederica, and royally sucked at it.

Thankfully nobody asked her to play with the Wii console because Hazel didn't even know where the On/off button was.

Finally Ken came to find her and told her that it was time to go and that she could keep the shirt and thank you so very much for coming.

"You're leaving?" Mae asked when she saw her walking towards the elevator. She was followed closely by her mother.

"Yes," Hazel said. "But I was really glad to meet you, Mae."

Mae hugged her legs, which caught Hazel off-guard but she hugged the little girl back.

"They loved you," Ken said. "If I could get your contact information, we'd love to have you as a regular volunteer."

"I'm sorry," Hazel said. "No. It's not that I don't want to, I mean, I think volunteering is an amazing cause and the kids are great, but… well, it's complicated. I won't have another chance."

"Well if you can swing by another time, just fill out a Volunteer-for-the-day sheet. Anytime, okay Hazel?" Ken said.

"Of course," Hazel said. He escorted her out with a smile on his face and chatting.

She was glad that people like him were working with kids like the ones in the hospital. She was also glad that those kids were in the hospital, that those kids had a fighting chance at winning their battle and prospering and having great lives filled with great people and amazing achievements. She was also glad that those that didn't have a good chance wouldn't have bitter and horrible last years filled with bad memories and 24/7 hardness thanks to the volunteers, the parents, the playroom, the games, the clowns that came in, the storytellers...

She was glad that even if some of those kids didn't make it, they'd finish better than she had.

**2 days to go:**

"Stop-" Percy said. They froze as they walked in front of the Empire State Building. Percy looked up to the top of the building, as if looking for Olympus and then at the street. He looked up and down, backed up on the street between two parked cars and pointed at the road.

"There," he said seriously. "That is exactly where King Kong fell and died."

Frank just slow-clapped it.

Jason joined him, Reyna lowered her head and covered her face with her hand, and Hazel looked confused.

"What?" She asked.

"Geez, I go and calculate every deal and you don't even get my cultural reference." Percy sighed, dropping his arms and shaking his head.

"King Kong came out in 1933," Annabeth frowned. "You were born by then."

"I was five years old, probably four actually," Hazel protested. "What is that, a movie? Where would I have seen it, my mother didn't own a television. What's it about?"

"King Kong's the story of a badass huge gorilla thing," Jason said. "It died by climbing up the Empire State building to protect an actress called Ann Darrow and falling."

"Beauty killed the Beast," Annabeth quoted. "They made movies about Kong around five times, lest they be sequels or about his son."

"I liked the Son of Kong, actually." Reyna said.

"You've _seen _that?" Percy said shocked.

"Close your mouth, Jackson, I'm not completely uncultured." She said.

"Could've fooled me," Percy said.

Jason stepped in before Reyna could smack him. "Okay, let's not go there."

Percy was giving them a tour of Manhattan for the afternoon. He was skipping school, and Annabeth had refused to let him skip without her. Percy was figuring that he could avoid detention by saying that he was spending time with his (Frank knew he'd mention it although he didn't say it; 'dying') cousin. Annabeth was figuring that detention would not hurt her homework and reading time and that her record was practically spotless.

They'd stopped at a Chinese restaurant because Percy had skipped lunch to meet the romans at Grand Central Station (where people appearing out of the shadows didn't attract attention). He'd promised to Frank (who was very against Americanised Chinese food restaurants due to the fact that he'd been called Chop suey or Fortune Cookie one too many times in his life) that it was good food. It was; it tasted like his Grandmother's food and the dishes in Chinatown restaurants that were real.

They spent a lot of time in Central Park. Percy had a football with him so they played a screwed up version of tackle football. Reyna would've pawned but the boys just had more shoulders and equal training to her. Annabeth comforted her, and Hazel just held on to the fact that she was small and quick.

Hazel wanted to go to the Empire State building, but Percy said no because it a) cost money, b) took forever, c) was short, d) had unpleasant and sweaty tourists everywhere. Frank wasn't sure at first; they were all in New York for her after all. But Percy proved to be right and to know his stuff as a proud New Yorker by bringing them to another place. It ended up being the building where his mother's publisher was stationed. Upon seeing Percy they let him in with his friends, up to the top floor immediately.

"There are a bunch of bars that have good views," he said in the elevator. "And I know this for reasons that are not up for discussion around my parents, or people who care about my safety. But I was waiting for her in the lobby here once, wandered around and… well, you'll see. Plus Hazel looks too young to sneak into a bar, the rest of us _might _be able to pull it off."

"Right. Baby cousin." Jason said.

"Stop it," Hazel whined right away. Her two cousins laughed at her and she punched them both.

The view was gorgeous on the little balcony Percy led them to. They saw the Empire State building, the Chrysler building, the East River winding through the city… The skyline was amazing, they all agreed on that.

"It's like the world's at your fingertips." Hazel said.

"The world's in New York, cuz." Percy said.

They took the subway, which fascinated Hazel and made Reyna look pretty claustrophobic though she'd never admit it, back to Percy's apartment. Piper and Leo were already there, sitting at the kitchen table.

Hugs were exchanged.

Piper admitted that they'd left early because Leo's sources said that the Stolls brothers were going to pull a prank that the whole camp would be punished for. Paul had been home for lunch and he'd let them in as long as they'd promised that they wouldn't break anything.

They were showing Hazel (and Reyna actually, though she wasn't half as amazed) how to use a PS3 when Sally came home.

"Hi Default Mother!" Leo said when he saw her. This was a reputation Sally had earned herself when she'd been at the Empire State building lobby with juice boxes, sandwiches and cookies for all the half-bloods who'd come down from Olympus after the war.

"Hello Default Son number 76," Sally said. This comeback was another reason Sally J-B was awesome. Leo was always 76, Jason was 77, and Frank was somewhere in the late eighties.

Everyone got a warm motherly hug (even callous and serious people like Reyna) and they all got quizzed. Frank felt like he'd come back from school and was being grilled by his own mother. It'd been a long time since he'd felt that kind of care.

Percy pulled out a bunch of DVD's in the likes of Harry Potter, The Gladiator, Clash of the Titans (original and modern), The Argonauts, Get Smart, the Hangover…

"We should watch this one," Percy said smugly, pointing at Clash of the Titans.

"Bull," Piper called him out. "You say that because it's about the first Perseus."

"Then we should watch that," Jason said pointing to the Argonauts.

"Why is there no movie about Leo? Percy, have you got a movie of this type?"

"The Gladiator's pretty beast," Frank said.

"Please, the fighting's more Greek than Roman in there, which is totally inappropriate considering that the lead character is a very high-ranking legionnaire." Annabeth said.

"The siege of Troy is quite fascinating," Reyna said pointing to Troy.

"Sherlock Holmes has a truly brilliant strategical mind that any half-blood can profit from," Annabeth said, "Though I admit his tricks to be too Hollywood for reality at times."

"We need to find a movie about Leo," a certain Valdez said. "We need to go to an HMV _right now." _

Everyone had an opinion about movies and it was getting loud. Sally was writing in the kitchen and she called out, "Guys, why don't you let Hazel chose considering she's the only one not complaining?"

So Hazel got to pick, and nobody tried to bias her _at all _("Hazel… do you remember who fixed the window of your cabin after that sea monster broke it?" and "Who's your favourite cousin, Haze?").

She finally picked Harry Potter because she'd heard people talk about it, but she'd never heard the story. Time was too short to read the books, so the movies were the best they could manage to teach her the awesomeness of Harry Potter.

They kind-of paid attention to the movies, kind of talked, and kind of stopped Percy and Jason from wrestling each other to the ground as a group.

They finished the first movie and Annabeth got up to change the disk.

"And?" She asked Hazel.

Hazel starred at the screen.

"How old is this Daniel Radcliffe guy?"

"Eighteen I think," Annabeth said.

"Can I marry him?" Hazel asked.

Therefore it was assumed that she had liked it. As Chamber of Secrets started she leaned back against Frank and whispered 'I was kidding'.

Discussions ranged from 'ha ha, you guys didn't go to Disneyland suckers' to 'the guy who invented the toilet was _not _seriously called Thomas Crapper' and 'Piper, do you consider fish a vegetable?'

They were watching the third movie when Sally came in and asked Percy to pause it. The remote ended up being down Frank's shirt, and he had no idea how that happened but he put the movie on pause.

"For supper I can either make something or order pizza," Sally said. No answer. "Stupid question, I'm talking to eight half-bloods. I'll order it."

Paul came back from school when there were ten minutes left before their pizza was free, plus the Death Eaters were storming the Quidditch World Cup onscreen so it was a very climatic moment overall.

Their pizza ended up not being free, but it was delicious. Sally had mastered the art of determining the appetites of demigods, so there was enough pizza. Piper threw the ham of her Hawaiian pizza across the living room and into Frank's mouth, and Hazel couldn't wrap her mind over the existence of pineapple on pizza.

"It's not right," she said. "But it is delicious. Is this a sin?"

They all slowly crashed and cuddled up ("No Leo, get away" Piper said) and watched the last movie.

"Wait- it ends?" Hazel asked, jaw dropped. "But- but the Horcrux'- and- no that did not just happen- Snape did not… My brain hurts. Oh my gods, it all hurts."

"See," Annabeth said. "I am not the only ones who cares very much about Harry Potter."

"The last two movies aren't out yet," Frank said.

"Two?"

"The last book is in two movies," Annabeth said. "It's the only way to stay loyal to the book."

So Annabeth explained the general essence of the last Harry Potter book to Hazel (interrupted by Leo's "and then Ron and Hermione get together" every few sentences). Hazel was hanging from her lips.

"But I thought Snape was bad!" She said.

"No he wasn't he's a complex character with lots of feelings," Annabeth said.

"He gives me lots of feelings," Piper said. "My gods, it's so…"

Annabeth explained.

"Aww no!" Hazel said looking crushed. "Oh my gods… Oh my gods that's so sad that's so…"

When that was done they introduced Hazel to 'Truth or Dare' (during which Sally had to call out the reminder that 'No weapons in my house!')

It was late by the time they heard a knock.

"That's coming from the fire escape," Annabeth said confused.

"Oh, that means Nico's here." Percy said. "Hazel your brother is not a normal person."

"You're not a normal person," Hazel replied defensively. But she agreed.

Nico had come to pick up the romans and he was rather breathless.

"What happened to 'I'll meet you there for supper'?" Jason asked.

"Bulgaria is more complicated than you'd like to think." Nico said. Sally gave him a slice of pizza wrapped in a napkin for later.

Hazel hugged Percy who hugged her back, his cheek in her hair.

"You're like my little sister," he said really quietly. "And you'll never be anything else to me."

Hazel nodded and told him that he was her big, big brother.

She hugged Leo. He thanked her for being a Levesque. She thanked him for being a Valdez.

Piper didn't say anything, just smiled warmly and gave her a tight hug.

Annabeth hugged her tightly.

"You're perfect," Annabeth said quietly. "Everything's okay."

"Love you Haze," Piper said.

"We all do," Leo said.

Sally opened her arms and demanded a hug. Hazel obliged.

"I am so glad Percy ran into you out of all people," Sally said. "He wouldn't have come home if not."

Hazel looked at the other demigods, her eyes heavy. "Bye," she said.

They all smiled, though the angles of their lips looked crooked and said goodbye.

And Nico shadow traveled them back.

Reyna and Jason were quick to thank Nico, say goodbye and leave. This was good because Hazel couldn't have kept in the tears for one second longer.

Frank gathered her in his arms and they walked away from the barracks. She buried her face in his chest and just cried. Frank just held onto her because she was crying since she was letting go.

"That's the last time I'll see them," Hazel said shakily.

Frank kissed the top of her head. He couldn't say yes because it would break her heart. But he couldn't say no. And that broke his.

**1 day left:**

Frank knew why the number '1' was the one that came before zero. Because it was so small. The picture was so slim and short, it was nearly nothing. And that's what 'one day to go' felt like.

The day was completely spent as a legionnaire for Hazel. She trained, she played the war games- even got herself a Crown Mural, dined on the couches and hopped from one to the other, and she scrambled for muster and narrowly avoided being late like all the others.

She whined about doing push-ups and got in trouble for it. She conjugated Latin verbs with the tone you'd use to say 'my dog got run over by a truck'. She laughed and joked. She squirted toothpaste at the other girls when they were getting ready for bed and kicked the bunk above her every time the girl started snoring.

It didn't feel like the last day unless you were inside of Frank.

Maybe that was because each day should be lived like the last and that was what Hazel had been doing all along.

**The day of:**

She didn't get out of bed that morning. She coughed up blood and was carried and admitted into the infirmary.

Frank spent breakfast with her and was sent off to his duties under the promise that Reyna would stay with her, and was back at lunch. He wasn't even hungry; he wasn't even tired from the training. He sat down on the foot of her bed. She looked sick. Her hair formed a halo around her face. The gold of her eyes was dull, like a ring that had been worn for years instead of just freshly taken from the ground.

"How are you feeling?" Frank said, holding her hand and playing with her fingers.

"I don't want to say," Hazel said weakly.

"Okay," Frank said. "Hey, the cohort's worried about you. They send their love, though. They just didn't want to crowd around you. See? The cohort loves you. The praetors love you. Loads of Greeks love you. I love you." His voice nearly cracked.

"That's the first time," Hazel said. "I'm glad I was loved a lot this time. I know it's not about 'a lot' but about 'how much' but still, it feels… good."

"I know," Frank said. For a while they were quiet. Hazel's breath was really raspy.

Part of Frank couldn't stand the quiet because she'd be quiet forever after this day, but part of him thought it was right. What he'd said to his mom's grave? You could prepare for death, but you could never really be okay about it. You could say you were and think you were and prepare yourself to be, but when it came down to it, it was a panic and a rush and horrible and you were not okay.

"Frank?" She said.

"Yeah?"

"I'm…" she struggled for the words and took deep breaths. "I'm glad I was loved this time… by you." She said her voice cracking. She was talking like you did during a tongue twister, spitting out the words quickly so that you could take in a breath. "Because you loved me a lot, and I loved you a lot too. You did all these things for me." Hazel took deep breaths. Her face was serene and peaceful with certain sadness at its core and in its smoothness and perfection, like a statue of an angel.

"I mean… who needs a lifetime… when you had sixty days like that?"

Frank swallowed. He felt his eyes prickle with tears.

"I wish you did," he said. "But I'm glad to hear that."

Hazel was breathing through her mouth. She gave him the kind of tired smile someone falling under the effect of laughing gas would give you, except he could tell it was real. Her eyelids closed.

Hazel didn't regain consciousness, but she wasn't dead either. Jason came by soon after, worry filling his usually unreadable eyes. A medic caught him on his way in and explained everything. He stood at the foot of the bed.

"He says I missed her by a few minutes," Jason said. Frank nodded. Her hand was cold. He put it down and got up.

"I'm going to go back to training," he said. "She… She'd want me to."

"Are you okay?" Jason asked.

"Yeah," Frank said.

"Alright," Jason said. "I'll stay with her then."

"Until the end, right?" Frank asked. "No running off to do something else. Because if you won't do it, I'll do it. She died alone once. Not again."

"Of course," Jason said. "Until the end. You stayed with her until her end, Frank."

He nodded, looked at Hazel one more time. It was possibly the last time he'd see her alive. But she didn't look alive. Maybe 'alive' wasn't about the air in your lungs and the beat of your heart. Maybe it was about being happy and energetic and doing the things you loved with the people you loved and living life and eating new foods and trying new things and discovering new technologies and hearing new stories and practising old tricks and wandering down new and old streets.

In that case, Hazel was dead as of now.

**1 day after:**

The funeral was great, bigger than most, with Greeks in the crowd as well as Camp Jupiter and a few of its veterans and the air felt heavy. The fifth cohort had arms around each other, standing in line closest to the pyre. Nico lit it since he was family.

She'd died at 3:30, a few seconds after Frank walked into the infirmary after training. Jason had been with her the whole time, and Carrie and Antonia had come to say goodbye too.

They put a stone for her in the legionnaire graveyard down by New Rome.

_Hazel Linda Levesque_

_December 17th 1928- October 4th 2010 _

_Daughter of Pluto_

_Defeater of Alcyoneus_

_Prophecy Child _

_Veteran of the war of Gaia _

_If love and jazz music could have saved you, you would have lived forever._

The fifth cohort didn't train for the day and nobody suggested they do.

Frank spent nearly the whole day on his own, sitting outside. Piper joined him eventually, just in case.

**2 days after:**

Frank walked into New Rome. He had nowhere else to go and Dakota didn't want him at muster.

He had to stop by Terminus and surrender his gladus. Julia cartwheeled out of nowhere.

"Where's Hazel?" The little girl asked, head at a tilt.

Frank swallowed. "She's dead."

Julia looked at him stunned. "Like a monster got to her?"

"No," Frank said. He felt detached from himself, like his feelings weren't his. "She just died."

Julia's face turned into a pout and she tried not to cry. She wanted to be tough like a legionnaire, but Frank was a legionnaire and he didn't feel tough right now. If the wind picked up Frank would probably slam face-down on the road.

**3 days after:**

Nico told them that Hazel had achieved Elysium this time.

**4 days after:**

The supervisor of the girl's barrack, Kateri Hunter, had three canvases under her arm as she walked up to Frank, who was sitting on the porch of the guy's barrack and wedeling with a switch blade and a chunk of wood.

"We found something under her bunk," she said.

Frank looked up.

"What are those?" He asked.

"We were hoping you could tell us." Kateri said.

The first was deep inside a city that he recognised straight away; New Orleans. Except the city didn't look modern and the people wandering its streets were dressed in vintage clothes.

The second one showed the antique shop where she and Frank had listened to those records, every trinket and detail in the antiques in perfect detail. The record player's arm was down, which meant it was playing music. Music in a painting. It sounded exactly like Hazel's kind of thing.

The third one showed the seven half-bloods onboard the ship. Annabeth was holding up a pile of books, Percy's arms were wrapped around her from behind. Leo was twirling a wrench like a baton. Frank had his bow at hand. Jason was standing at the side, his hands over his pockets like he always held himself. Piper was sitting in the front, smiling and hugging her legs. Hazel herself was standing near Frank, smiling, her hair untamed as usual. She'd written in cursive handwriting over the image, _The strongest stay strong always. _

Three different paintings, all of them signed in the bottom right corner _Hazel Levesque_.

"They're her life," Frank said finally. "New Orleans, 1940; the modern world; and places in between the two. Hazel painted her whole life in three paintings, and she left them under her bunk for us to find."

"She's good," Kateri said looking at them.

"She was really good." Frank said. And he wasn't referring to her painting skills specifically.

He thought back to the last thing she'd told him.

_Who needs a lifetime when you had sixty days like that?_

Maybe life wasn't about years and months and weeks fair. Maybe life wasn't about how many paintings there were. Maybe life was about how beautiful each was.

If that was true, Hazel had lived wonderfully.


End file.
